Currently I use Presentation Zen for PD sessions with faculty as much as I can, but when I was in the classroom I used Presentation Zen Keynotes for Readers and Writers Workshop.  The result in the classroom was (I think) better conversations, shorter mini-lessons and increased motivation and inspiration – especially for writing.

Recently at the JIS Technology Learning Institute, the Presentation Zen- Introduction session I ran, was very popular.  Below I’ve included the Keynote (uploaded to SlideShare) to introduce the basics of Presentation Zen.  After the basics, we looked at an actual Readers Workshop keynote that I’d used in the past, then I asked the session participants to begin work on their own Presentation Zen keynote.  It was a great way to not only introduce the basics of keynote, but encouraged a really good conversation about Creative Commons and copyright, which a lot of schools are struggling with.

Do you use PresentationZen? What ways do you use it?

LiveBinders was perfect for introducing 9 other fabulous tools to use in the classroom – not just at the start of the year, but all year long.  Please, feel free to add your ideas to the side text boxes if you’re using these simple tools in the classroom too.

I loved the format of our session, so I thought I’d share that with you too:

• Share the LiveBinders link:  http://livebinders.com
• Search for teachingsagittarian in public binders
• Begin with Tab #10 (LiveBinders of course)
• Show sign-up, a few features like edit menu, text layout – set the timer for 7 minutes and have sand-pit (dabble) time
• When the timer goes, you have to share something you discovered when playing around with the tool, with the person sitting next to you (3 minutes)
• Repeat with next tool – Tab #1 – #9

This is a really good way to minimize the “teacher is the expert” thinking or expectation in your classroom.  I always “dabble” a little before I introduce any new tool to my students – but I let them “discover” things too.  Almost every time I do this, someone discovers something else I didn’t know about the tool – it’s very empowering for students to discover something the teacher doesn’t know!  I love it! And in less than 20 minutes most of the students in your class have a fair idea of how that tool works!  Sometimes I’ll ask for 4-6 volunteers to show small group something they’ve learned to do – then we’ll do a round robin of discovery – it takes a bit to organise, but worth the effort too.

So, here it is – The LiveBinder “10 Online Tools to Kick Start the Year (click the images or the link)

Uploaded with Skitch!

Hope you find it useful!  What are your favourite online tools?

Image by Mark Brannan http://www.flickr.com/photos/23403402@N00/1197947341/

It’s been a humbling experience to be invited to Jakarta International School as a consultant for their Technology Learning Institute PD.  This is the second time JIS has conducted this kind of PD for their faculty – but this time, if teachers wanted to attend, they returned 3 days early from their Summer Break.  And quite a few of them did!

For the past 3 days, they have been taking part in technology PD sessions run by their incredibly talented team of team integrators/librarian/techie staff faculty members from across the Elementary, Middle and High schools.  From Moodle to iWorks to iLife to Blogs to Online Tools to PresentationZen – the attendees have had a plethora of sessions to choose from.  A flexible, adaptable schedule with time-out sessions added to process or work on something new, added up to a low stress (although overwhelming at times for those new to technology) fun-filled three days of learning.  It was an absolute pleasure and honour to have been a part of this experience and special thanks must go to Lindy B (who asked JIS to bring me in, because she’d been reading my blog!)

Special thanks too, to my awesome PLN who helped me with ideas for a couple of my sessions – your input, as always, is the reason twitter remains one of my favourite places for learning new things!

Over the next few posts, I’ll be sharing links/presentations etc that I used with JIS.

Here’s the first:  Ten Online Tools to Kick Start the Year

I’ve been most fortunate to have been involved with co-hosting an EARCOS 2-day weekend workshop called TechTrain 2010 – masterminded by two fabulous ISB staff members, Kim Cofino and Tara Etheridge.

Along with these two ladies, Dennis Harter, Dana Watts and myself have very successfully (I feel) inspired and helped the technology learning journey of  a great bunch of educators from around the Asia Region who willingly gave up their entire weekend to join us.

The planning of each of our sessions offered has been going on behind the scenes for quite some time.  Kim and I combined our group as we felt that we both wanted to offer similar things to the workshop participants.  I LOVE brainstorming and planning with Kim as she is an expert on using the Understanding by Design planning cycle.  We both were fairly confident that we’d come up with two “jam-packed” useful days for our participants.

Here is the link to see the final projects from our two groups – I think they did a great job considering most of this was new for the majority of them.

As a co-host, I want to reflect on what I think went well, what didn’t go so well and what I’d do differently next time. But first I want to “debrief” with my fellow co-hosters!   Keep an eye out for that post!  Judging by the oral feedback we’ve received so far …… we may well offer TechTrain2011!  Watch this space!